Lododowo 19
1 Anyo be nànye ame dahe si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o, wu bometsila si ƒe nuyiwo gblɔa nya tovo.
Better to be poor but honest than stupid and tell lies.
2 Menyo be dzo nanɔ mewò ɖe nuwo wɔwɔ ŋu gɔmesesemanɔmee alo atsi dzi ahabu mɔ o.
It's not good to be someone who doesn't think. If you rush, things go wrong.
3 Ame ŋutɔ ƒe bometsitsie gblẽa eƒe agbe dome, evɔ eƒe dzi bina ɖe Yehowa ŋu.
People mess up their lives by their own stupidity, and then get angry with the Lord.
4 Kesinɔnunɔamesi dzea xɔlɔ̃ geɖe na ame, gake ame dahe ƒe xɔlɔ̃wo kakana le eŋu.
If you're rich, you get a lot of friends, but if you're poor, you lose any friends you had.
5 Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la, madzo le ablɔɖe me o.
A false witness will be punished; liars won't get away with their lies.
6 Ame geɖewo wɔa nu be woadze fia ŋu, eye ame si naa nu ame faa la, ame sia ame dzea xɔ̃e.
Many ask favors from important people, and everyone's a friend of the generous.
7 Ame dahe ƒe ƒometɔwo katã ɖea kɔ ɖa le eŋu, aleke exɔlɔ̃wo magbee geɖe wu o! Togbɔ be etia wo yome nɔa kuku ɖem na wo hã la, womedea nu eme nɛ o.
If a poor man's relatives can't stand him, how much more will his friends avoid him! He tries to talk with them but they don't listen.
8 Ame si, si nunya su la lɔ̃a eya ŋutɔ ƒe luʋɔ eye ame si melɔ̃a nu le gɔmesese gbɔ o la, nu dzea edzi nɛ.
If you become wise, you have good self-esteem; if you learn good sense you'll be successful.
9 Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la atsrɔ̃.
A false witness will be punished; people who tell lies will perish.
10 Agbe vivi nɔnɔ medze bometsila ʋuu keke wòahanye be kluvi ɖu aƒetɔ ɖe dumegãwo dzi o.
It's not right for stupid people to live in luxury, and it's even worse for a slave to rule over leaders.
11 Ame ƒe nunya nana wògbɔa dzi ɖi eye ŋutikɔkɔe wònye nɛ ne eŋe aɖaba ƒu dzidada dzi.
If you have good sense you'll be slow to get angry; you gain respect by forgiving wrongs.
12 Fia ƒe dziku le abe dzata ƒe gbetete ene, ke eƒe amenuveve le abe zãmu le gbedzi ene.
When a king gets angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; but his kindness is as soft as dew on the grass.
13 Viŋutsu tsibome nye fofoa ƒe gbegblẽ eye srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla le abe tsitrɔnu si le ɖuɖum ɖaa ene.
A stupid son makes his father miserable, and an argumentative wife is like dripping that never stops.
14 Aƒewo kple kesinɔnuwo nye domenyinu tso dzilawo gbɔ, ke srɔ̃nyɔnu nyanu ya, Yehowa gbɔe wòtsona.
You inherit a house and wealth from your father, but a sensible wife is a gift from the Lord.
15 Kuvia nana ame dɔa alɔ̃ yia eme ʋĩi eye dɔ wua ƒomewɔla.
Lazy people are often fast asleep, but idleness means they're hungry.
16 Ame si wɔna ɖe sedede dzi la dzɔa eƒe agbe ŋu, ke ame si metsɔ ɖeke le eƒe mɔwo ŋu o la aku.
Keep the commandments, and you'll live; despise them and you'll die.
17 Ame si nyo dɔ me na hiãtɔ la, do nugbana na Yehowa, aɖo nu si wòwɔ la teƒe nɛ.
If you're kind to the poor, you're lending to the Lord, and he will repay you well for what you've done.
18 He to na viwò ŋutsuvi elabena eya mee mɔkpɔkpɔ le; ke mègakpe ɖe ame siwo le eƒe ku dim la ŋuti o.
Discipline your son while there's still hope, but don't kill him.
19 Ame si dzi kuna helĩhelĩ la, axe eŋutife; ne èɖee le eme la, agawɔe ake.
People who often get angry have to pay the penalty; if you help them, you'll have to do it again.
20 Ɖo to aɖaŋuɖoɖo, nàxɔ amehehe eye le nuwuwua la, àdze nunya.
Listen to advice and accept instruction so that you'll eventually become wise.
21 Nu geɖewo ame ɖo ɖe eƒe dzi me, gake Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo koe vaa eme.
Human beings make many plans in their minds, but the final decision is the Lord's.
22 Nu si ame dina lae nye lɔlɔ̃ si meʋãna o; enyo be nànye ame dahe wu alakpatɔ.
The most desirable thing in anyone is trustworthy love; it is better to be poor than a liar.
23 Yehowavɔvɔ̃ kplɔa ame yia agbe gbɔe. Ekema ànɔ anyi aɖe dzi ɖi eye kuxi aɖeke maƒo go wò o.
Honoring the Lord is life, and you will rest contentedly, safe from harm.
24 Ne kuviatɔ de asi nuɖugba me la, maɖee ɖa atsɔ yi nu gbɔe teti gɔ̃ hã o!
Lazy people put their hands in a dish, and won't even lift the food to their mouths.
25 Ƒo fewuɖula kple ati, ekema gegemewo adze nunya; ka mo na ame si si sidzedze le, ekema gɔmesese asu esi.
If you punish someone who mocks, you may help an immature person to learn. Correct the wise, and they become wiser.
26 Ame si daa adzo fofoa, nyaa dada doa goe lae nye viŋutsu si hea ŋukpe kple vlododo vɛ.
A son who abuses his father and chases away his mother brings shame and disgrace.
27 Vinye, ne èdzudzɔ amehenyawo sese la, ekema àtra tso gɔmesese ƒe nyawo gbɔ.
My son, stop listening to my instruction and you'll soon give up following wisdom.
28 Aʋatsoɖasefo ɖua fewu le afia nyui tsotso ŋu eye ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu miaa nu vɔ̃ɖi.
A crooked witness makes a mockery of justice; and the wicked wolf down evil.
29 Woɖo tohehe ɖi na fewuɖulawo eye woɖo ƒoƒo ɖi na bometsilawo ƒe dzime.
Punishment is ready for those who mock; flogging is ready for the backs of the stupid.
